9:30am - 10:30am

Adults

The new Mental Health Act 2025

The new Mental Health Act makes significant changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 and will have major implications for social work practitioners. The aims behind reforms are to strengthen the voice of the patient and ensure detention is only used when, and as long as, necessary. This session will explore the major changes introduced by the legislation including strengthened patient rights and new professional roles and plans for implementation. Attend this session to: ' Understand new tightened detention criteria and new rights to refuse treatment ' Explore the new Nominated Person role ' Consider next steps for the implementation of the legislation.

Tim Spencer-Lane, lawyer specialising in mental capacity, mental health and social care law

11:00am - 12:00pm

Children and Families

Children, young people and deprivation of liberty

The numbers of children and young people being deprived of their liberty has been growing in recent years. They include looked-after children whose care regime amounts to a deprivation of liberty and, increasingly, cases where a secure accommodation placement is needed but no places are available. This session will explore the legal framework for children and young people in these cases and, in particular, the requirements of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Attend this session to: ' Understand the definition of deprivation of liberty in respect of children and young people and the legal processes for authorising such arrangements ' Learn about the rights of the person and the role of parental responsibility ' Consider the relationship between deprivation of liberty orders and care orders.

Anna Glinski, deputy director for knowledge and practice development - Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre)

3:45pm - 4:45pm

Adults

Mastering the community DoLS process

This session will consider the “streamlined” Court of Protection process for authorising adults’ deprivations of liberty in the community using the COPDOL 11 process, based upon the case of Re X (2014).
Learning outcomes: 
•    How to determine whether a person in the community is deprived of liberty
•    Guidance on the information required for the streamlined process
•    The safeguards provided and renewals

Neil Allen, barrister, 39 Essex Chambers

9.30am - 10.30am

Children and Families

Supporting families with no recourse to public funds: implementing legal duties and best practice

This session will help professionals to understand the intersection between immigration and social care when assessing and meeting the needs of children living within families that have no recourse to public funds. It will empower social workers to confidently enact legislation that enables vital support to be provided to destitute families who cannot access mainstream benefits to meet a child’s welfare needs. It will also provide practical information on how to effectively manage high-cost accommodation and subsistence spending.

Henry St Clair Miller, head of No Recourse to Public Funds Network, Refugee and Migrant Services - Islington Council

11:00am - 12:00pm

Adults

Mental capacity and suicide

The legal framework for adult safeguarding begins but does not end with the Care Act 2014 and Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. It is made up of a complex array of legal provisions which fall within mental capacity and mental health law, criminal law, civil powers, the common law, regulatory law and environmental and public health. This session will explore some of the complex relationships between the various legal provisions and how social workers can use the law to help frame their responses to adult safeguarding concerns.

Alex Ruck Keene, barrister - 39 Essex Chambers

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Adults

How to provide quality written and oral evidence to assist the court

This session is designed to provide social workers with an understanding of the court structure, how to meet the burden and standards of proof required in court proceedings and how to provide the court with quality written and oral evidence at contested hearings; all within the context of the increasing demands placed upon professionals by the Public Law Outline. Attend this session to: ' Understand the court structure and stages of the Public Law Outline ' Meet the requisite burden and standard of evidential proof in your evidence, recognise what constitutes 'evidence' and how to produce persuasive written evidence ' Recognise how best to prepare for going to court to give evidence and be cross-examined.

Bruce Tregoning, barrister and trainer - Talking Life

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Children and Families

What do we mean by 'good enough'? A guide to working with parents with learning disabilities

This legal learning session will provide a guide to the law, good practice guidance and how to approach cases in the family courts where parents have learning disabilities. Learning outcomes: ' Become more confident with understanding how to approach families from a strengths-based perspective ' Gain an understanding of the law and good practice ' Think about the concept of what is 'good enough' in the context of supported parenting.

Kellie Salter, family barrister - 3PB Barristers

3.15pm - 4.15pm

Adults

Hoarding, mental capacity and the role of the Court of Protection 

This session will consider how to support clients with hoarding issues where there is a question about their mental capacity. It will explore how an assessment of a client's mental capacity should be undertaken, when an application should be made to the Court of Protection (COP), and what orders the court can make. Attend this session to: ' Understand how to approach the difficulties in assessing a client's mental capacity ' Understand when an application to the COP should be made even if there is limited evidence regarding a client's mental capacity ' Understand what the powers of the COP are and how the underlying issue of hoarding in a client's home can be managed.

Asma Nizami, specialist Court of Protection barrister - Doughty Street Chambers

Michael Barrett, solicitor and director - Burke Niazi Solicitors